THE LETTER CARRIERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10886, 29 September 1913, Page 3

THE LETTER CARRIERS.

ANNUAL DINNER AND SOCIAL. SOME SERVICE FIGURES!. The second annual dinnor of tho Christchiirch letter-carriers was held on Saturday night in Freeman's rooms, and was oven moro successful than Inst, year's inaugural dinnor. Mr S. G. Daniel presided over an attendance of nearly 150, in which all branchos of tho service wero represented. Tho Post-mastor-Gonoral (tho Hon R. H. Rhodes) sent an apology for abseuco. After the loyal toast tho chairman gave tho toast of " Tho PostmnsterGenernl and the -Department," coupled with tli'o name of Mr R. H. Morris, Chief Postmaster. He said that Mr Rhodes was an estimable gentleman who had dotio honour to the position and was in full sympathy with, tho men, and tho 6amo could be said of Mr Morns.

Mr Morris, in responding on behalf of the Minister, said that the only const,lation for the absence of Mr Rhodes was the* fact that he had been detained in passing the Post and. Telegraph Estimates—(laughter)—and the service oould breathe freely for another year. In a review of tho Christchurch branch of tho service, Mr Morris said that the staff had increased enormously in recent years, from 29 iu 1901 to 61 in 1911; and tho expansion of the suburbs in 1912 and the addition of 1013 residences in the city from 1910 had necessitated further extensions. Tho motorcycles for rural deliveries covered 130 miles each daily, and as some of the roads .were atrocious in winter the motorists deserved a word of praise for their consistent work. In 1912 the total correspondence delivered numbered 11,346,055, and the houses withiil deliveries 20,570. The suburbs were steadily increasing, and the staff had been increased to seventy. Owing to the abnormal increase in tho letter-carriers' duties, the present accommodation did not meet requirements, and an increase was re-, quired if the high standard of efficiency was to be maintained. The same remarks applied to tho Money Order and Savings Bank Departments. The close sorting of North Island mails had facilitated the letter-carriors' deliveries to a great extent, and it was anticipated that when the new ferry service was inaugurated the public would be still further benefited by the close sorting. At S resent mails for St Albans and Ferry -oad were carried by motor-cycles, and this had proved eminently satisfactory, besides effecting a considerable saving. Referring to the promotion of telegraph messengers, Mr Morris said that the policy was as far as possible to recruit •the letter-carriers from the messengers, and in twelve months sixty messengers had been promoted to higher positions. He doubted whether there was any other service that, could offer the same chances of promotion. Referring to the telegraph branch, Mr Morris said that the delivery service by motor-cycle had been an unqualified success, and each of the three machines , averaged 110 miles a day. at an average consumption of one gallon of petrol. In addition to ensuring a reliable timetable delivery of telegrams to suburban offices, the service had relieved congestion, and had removed the risk of mutilation in the transmission of messages by telephone. The new service would doubtless be the most important; branch of the work, and steps should he taken to provide a departmental garage in charge of an official. During the past year additional toll lines had been constructed to Timaru, Ashburton, Rakaia, Darfield, Kaiapoi, East Oxford and New in order to meet the increase of business and a circuit to Kaikoura was now in course of construction. Tho net increase in tlie numbor of subscribers to the Christchurch Telephone Exchange amounted to 363 for the year, in addition to which fourteen additional public telephones had been provided in and around Christchurch. A return of telephonic communications between Christchurch and Banks tPeninsula had been takeh (< and during last week 371 communications were made., which showed that the telephone work to the different bays along the Peninsula was rapidly increasing. \ The past year, said Mr Morris, seemed ' to have been a record one for the employment of telegraph message-boys in Ghristchurch. From June 1. .1912., to August 30, 1913, ninety-three telegraph message-boys were taken on, including six employed temporarily for Carnival Week, 1912, and fourteen for Christmas week, 1912, leaving seventyone permanently employed., out of which sixty lads had been promoted to higher positions. With the increase of telephone trunk lines and superimposing some of them for purely telegraphic purposes, acommoaation in the telegraph office proper was likely to bo taxed to its utmost, and it was only a matter of a little while now when the question of extra accommodation for the telegraph branch would have to be considered. ■ There was no doubt that at present it was quite inadequate. The removal of the Customs and Public Works Department to the new Government Buildings would relieve a certain amount of tho congestion, but extra accommodation for the chief Morse operating room would soon have to be considered. When the alterations to the present building were carried out tho re-arrangement which would take place would provide proper inquiry windows and rooms for the convenience of the general public. Those having business in the Telegraph and Telephone Branch would be able to conduct that business in a much more convenient manner than at present. (Applause.) "Local Executive. Heads/' was proposed by Mr Ormandy and responded to by Messrs A. S. Talbot and S. Inder. Mr Talbot in his speech, commended the telegraph learners gallery to theuse of messengers and carriers and said that he could do with several more good men like those that had come from the letter carriers. "Old Timers," was proposed by Mr J. G. Rule, and responded to by Messrs Ken pie, Chi vers and Pleasance; "The Press" was proposed by Mr S. Inder, and "The Ladies," by Mr C. W. 1 horn ton. A very pleasant evening was contributed to by Messrs J. G. Greenwood J. Menelau's. G. Dixon, W. A. Wilson, Dickson, and Pearce, who gave songs and recitations.